Vice President of the National League of Professional Boxing of Ukraine (NLPBU) Alina Shaternikova in her
Facebook published an official appeal from the boxing community of Ukraine to the World Boxing Association (WBA) in response to the shameful decision of this organization with a dubious reputation to return to its ratings boxers from Russia and Belarus, who were previously excluded shortly after the full-scale invasion of the Russian army of killers and looters on the territory of Ukraine.
Below is the text of the appeal in full.
“Mr. (WBA President Gilberto) Mendoza,
You may have forgotten (or not heard), but the war in Ukraine continues!
At a time when the WBA is making shameful decisions for the entire civilized world to resume the positions of the boxers of a terrorist country in the ratings and authorize fights with their participation, our state is subjected to missile attacks EVERY DAY and suffers from open genocide by Russia.
Read the news, Mr. President!
You stated that the athletes of Russia and Belarus have nothing to do with the war in Ukraine… So what does the Russian company Mir Boxa do among the partners of the WBA Congress this year? Was it not her top boxers Alexander Povetkin and Ruslan Provodov who justified the war in Ukraine? Didn’t the conductors say that he was ready to go to Ukraine to fight?
A shame! The oldest boxing organization in the world, ignoring common sense from the very beginning of the war, plays along with the terrorist country! A country whose hands are smeared up to the shoulders with the blood of thousands of Ukrainians!
Those who openly support the war are not eligible to participate in any international competition for the rest of their lives.
Sport is about honesty, dignity, principles!
A few weeks ago, the International Olympic Committee decided not to lift sanctions on Russian and Belarusian athletes while the war in Ukraine continues.
And at the annual WBC World Congress, the sanctions were strengthened and extended.
We urge you not to become an accomplice of evil, because, unfortunately, almost all Russian and Belarusian boxers tacitly support the policy of their dictators. None of them condemned Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
Correct the mistake. DO NOT TOLERATE the silence of those who want to return to the world rankings.
Because the life of people is the highest value, and a peaceful life is the desire of everyone on our planet! Or do you not agree with this, Mr. Mendoza?
Money – or principles? .. ”
Wladimir Klitschko also reacted to the decision of the WBA to return Russians and Belarusians to the ratings.